Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Blank lines in posts

1265 views
17 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:57 PM

Seamonster
Does anyone else have this problem? When I'm composing a post, hitting the enter key produces a blank line so that I can indicate a new paragraph. However, when I post it to the forum, there is no blank line. What started after the blank line in the composing window is now right after the previous sentence with no blank line. Hitting the enter key used to make a blank line. This just started rather recently.

Yes I have the problem all the time.  I use various browsers and it makes no difference.

There should be a line break above this sentence but there won't be when I post it.  It will be plastered up against the first sentence.   I hate having to compose HTML when things are supposed to be easy and WSIWG.  In fact, I would not mind it nearly so much if the message compose box looked the same as the post box.

But for me (should be another blank line above this one which WILL be there) this is not a recent thing.  As far as I know it has been happening since the forum converted to this software last ummm October. 

For some reason, the missing blank line issue only happens for me after the first paragraph I type after the "quote".  Then everything is fine. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:50 PM

 The blank lines always seem to match up with my mental blanks so what's the issue?

 

 Firefox works best for me. I access the forums on several different computers (PC'S and Mac's) but only post using firefox on the Mac.

 

                                                                  Brent

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:42 PM
Guess not. I'll try the HTML trick:

That should make a paragraph--if it does, it's the same trick as for Opera. I've got to agree, though, Firefox makes a lot of sense.

Ed
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:40 PM
Well, here I am at my Mac. Let's see if it'll do a paragraph. Two clicks of "return"--the message field shows some empty space between this line and the previous. Two more "returns", Ed
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 121 posts
Posted by gerhard_k on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 4:14 PM
This has come up before, posted originally by someone else, and then repeated by me.

On a Mac using Safari, you can get a Carriage Return by typing a left chevron,P,right chevron (without spaces). Doing so twice will get you an extra blank line.

It's pretty easy to get used to; otherwise I have no trouble using the MR forums with my Mac.

Otoh, on some other forums, it doesn't pick up in-line photos, and that's a hassle.

- Gerhard

  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1,317 posts
Posted by Seamonster on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 3:43 PM
jguess733

Bob, I run and Imac, and I love it. Safari doesn't like the forums, but Firefox does. It only takes a few short minutes to download it and install it. 

The salesperson at the computer store suggested that if I didn't like Safari I could install Firefox. She said that was what she had done on her computer. It's something to keep in mind. I'm looking forward to getting the iMac. A friend who recently got one (he's a long-time Mac user) showed me what his machine can do and it blew my mind. My daughter recently got a Mac too and the two of them talked me into getting one since I was ready to replace my old PC anyway.

..... Bob

Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)

I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)

Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Somewhere in North Texas
  • 1,080 posts
Posted by desertdog on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 1:02 PM

jguess733

Bob, I run and Imac, and I love it. Safari doesn't like the forums, but Firefox does. It only takes a few short minutes to download it and install it. 

I also have an iMac (at home) and have the same problem as everyone else.  I contacted Kalmbach and they, too, suggested switching my browser to Firefox.  I have not done so yet, but apparently that is the recommended fix.

John Timm 

 

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Bremerton, Wa
  • 540 posts
Posted by jguess733 on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 12:57 PM

Bob, I run and Imac, and I love it. Safari doesn't like the forums, but Firefox does. It only takes a few short minutes to download it and install it. 

Jason

Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale

  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: THE FAR, FAR REACHES OF THE WILD, WILD WEST!
  • 3,672 posts
Posted by R. T. POTEET on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:43 AM

Paul3

There's another trick to try, at least with IE7.  Hold down the SHIFT key while hitting ENTER twice.  This should give you a line break.  For example, if I just hit ENTER, I get a line break like this:

See the empty line above?  But if I hold down SHIFT when I hit ENTER, I get this:
See the lack of that empty line?  It gives me a carriage return without the empty line.

Apparently this happened to me one time and I wound up scratching my head. When I reached over to turn off the caps lock  I must have hit the shift key instead!

From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet

  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1,317 posts
Posted by Seamonster on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:23 AM
Thanks to all who replied. I guess the problem is in my browser. It never occurred to me that it started around the time I switched to Opera. Duhh! Sounds like bad news all around. Bad news #1--Opera doesn't play nice with the forum. Actually, this is the only problem I've encountered other than trying to insert a smiley into this message which didn't work. I do like Opera better than IE though. It's faster and I like its appearance and functions better. Oh well, that won't matter much longer because I'm about to get into problem #2. I'll be getting an Apple iMac in a couple of weeks and apparently its browser doesn't play nice with this forum either. Well, I'll just have to wait and see what problems it brings. Thanks again to all who posted answers. Your warnings about Opera and Apple were very valuable.

..... Bob

Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)

I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)

Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.

  • Member since
    May 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 2,899 posts
Posted by Paul3 on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:06 AM

There's another trick to try, at least with IE7.  Hold down the SHIFT key while hitting ENTER twice.  This should give you a line break.  For example, if I just hit ENTER, I get a line break like this:

See the empty line above?  But if I hold down SHIFT when I hit ENTER, I get this:
See the lack of that empty line?  It gives me a carriage return without the empty line.

Let me put it this way, I type my sig is as follows...

Paul A. Cutler III (SHIFT-ENTER)
******************* (SHIFT-ENTER)
Weather Or No Go New Haven (SHIFT-ENTER)
*******************

If I didn't use SHIFT, it would look like this:

Paul A. Cutler III (ENTER)

******************* (ENTER)

Weather Or No Go New Haven (ENTER)

********************

Looks silly, doesn't it?

Paul A. Cutler III
*******************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*******************

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 10:59 AM
In the previous message, I tried putting the keyboard arrowheads (as examples) between the empty parentheses, but no go. Anyway, they're just above the comma and period. You will have a total of 7 keyboard characters showing in a row.

Wow, it's almost like I'm trying to suggest naughty words in a family paper (yes, I know it's the coding). Still feels weird in the non-HTML world, though.

Ed
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 10:54 AM
The browser I usually use is Opera, and this site doesn't like Opera. It used to, in the olden days, but not now. Right now, I'm using Opera. If I hit the enter/return (like right now) it won't work (I just did it twice).

BUT, if I put in "p" and "/p" each surrounded by those little arrowheads (), it does. See, I just did it. Yup, it's a pain down there, but it's an option.

Ed
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:18 AM

Bob, I'm afraid it is related to your browser.  I used IE7 until a few weeks ago, now IE8, and both allow me to do what you had expected to do.

-Crandell

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Bremerton, Wa
  • 540 posts
Posted by jguess733 on Monday, June 15, 2009 8:10 PM

I had that problem when I was using Safari. Apparently Mac's Safari doesn't play well with the fourms. I also couldn't use the quote button or use smilies either. I just downloaded Firefox and haven't had any of those problems.

Jason

Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Monday, June 15, 2009 8:03 PM

 I've never had that problem with Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox, but if you are composing your message off-line and then uploading it, your browser is probably stripping out some of the code as the message is reformatted to fit the forum's screen width.

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Oconto Falls, WI
  • 240 posts
Posted by graphitehemi on Monday, June 15, 2009 7:57 PM
What browser are you using? Did you recently upgrade?

I'm using Google Chrome right now, if I don't manually add the HTML code, it will just throw it all into a block like your saying. Usually I fire up Internet Explorer when I need to post something. That way everything formats correctly for me.

  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1,317 posts
Blank lines in posts
Posted by Seamonster on Monday, June 15, 2009 7:50 PM
Does anyone else have this problem? When I'm composing a post, hitting the enter key produces a blank line so that I can indicate a new paragraph. However, when I post it to the forum, there is no blank line. What started after the blank line in the composing window is now right after the previous sentence with no blank line. Hitting the enter key used to make a blank line. This just started rather recently.

..... Bob

Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)

I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)

Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!